DÜSSELDORF, Germany/NEW YORK CITY/TOKYO — April 4, 2023 — Asahi Kasei’s production facility for Dinamica® microfiber resembling suede at its Nonwovens Plant in Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan, has acquired the first Certificate of Renewable Energy Use, utilizing Hitachi’s Powered by RE system, which visualizes the usage of renewable energy. The certification, acquired on March 8, 2023, ensures that the production facility for Dinamica is powered by 100-percent renewable energy.
Today, companies are making efforts to become carbon neutral throughout the value chain to realize a sustainable society, resulting in demand for high-value-added products and services that are made using 100-percent renewable energy. Dinamica is a microfiber resembling suede with a 3-layer structure* produced with Asahi Kasei’s proprietary manufacturing process. Having excellent texture and versatile design, it is widely used in various applications around the world such as automotive interiors, furniture, IT accessories, clothing, and industrial materials. Asahi Kasei has proactively reduced the CO2 emissions from the manufacture of Dinamica® as part of its effort to become carbon neutral by 2050.
Hitachi developed Powered by RE in 2021 as a system to visualize how much renewable energy is used at individual facilities and services, with the aim of realizing a decarbonized society. In 2022, Hitachi launched the Powered by RE Certification Committee, a general incorporated association jointly with Art & Ecology, Inc. that certifies 100% renewable energy use at each production line, equipment and services to contribute to further expansion of renewable energy use. The Certificate of Renewable Energy Use issued by the Powered by RE Certification Committee ensures that electricity used by individual production lines, facilities, and services is 100-percent derived from renewable energy. The certification acquired for Dinamica has been based on data from the energy management system of its production facility at the Nonwovens Plant, verifying that 100 percent of the power used is derived from renewable energy. This certification allows Asahi Kasei to claim to its customers that it is contributing to measures against global warming through the provision of products from the certified production lines.
Asahi Kasei aims to realize carbon neutral and sustainable society from the perspective of “Care for Earth” and is focusing on initiatives such as the use of biomass raw materials, recycled raw materials, renewable energy, etc. The Asahi Kasei Group continues to meet the expectations of society and its customers by proactively cooperating with its stakeholders while further promoting the provision of products and services with such characteristics based on its medium-term management plan for fiscal 2024 focused on the theme “Be a Trailblazer.” Hitachi drives its Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society with data and technology, and continues to provide digital solutions, such as Powered by RE, to help realize a decarbonized society. In addition, by widely promoting certification of renewable energy use through the Powered by RE Certification Committee, Hitachi will contribute to businesses’ adoption of renewable energy.
* Dinamica® consists of three layers of face, inner scrim, and backing, with the microfiber layers intertwined with each other in three dimensions. The inner scrim layer improves dimensional stability and strength. Being immersed in a water-based polyurethane gives the material a rich elastic texture.
Posted April 4, 2023
Source: Asahi Kasei
